


Just Breathe

by katwithak32



Series: The Safety of You [2]
Category: SubZero (Webcomic)
Genre: Crying, F/M, Happy Ending, Heartbreak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:55:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28251255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katwithak32/pseuds/katwithak32
Summary: Takes place at the end of Season 1. Clove seems to come out unscathed and but other injuries show themselves after Kyro thinks they’re out of the woods.
Relationships: Clove/Kyro (SubZero)
Series: The Safety of You [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2069865
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	Just Breathe

“Please say something.” 

“Clove, please.”

She could hear someone speaking to her, but she didn’t understand the words being said, she was confused. There was so much going on around her she couldn’t keep track. The heat was intense, she could feel herself sweating, but she was also freezing. The scents were totally overwhelming. The smells were a mixture of smoke, burning wood, flesh, stone, and something else. Something pleasant, masculine. She was just about to figure it out when she heard the voice again. 

“Clove, I’m begging you, please, say something.” His voice was tough with emotion, as if he was barely holding himself together. But why was he sad? She thought of him, of his scent, and the way she felt when he held her, and those big, deep, amber eyes that bore deep into her soul. Her prince. Her Kyro. She suddenly remembered everything that had happened. She remembered the explosion, she remembered the prison, and Fei. She remembered following his voice, and breaking out. She remembered Kyro. She couldn’t bear to hear him so sad, she had to see him, show him that she was okay. She had to get out of this fog she was in. She pushed, and pushed, and pushed until finally, she broke free.

“Kyro!” She yelled as she sprung free from her mental prison, throwing her arms around his neck as she sat forward. They embraced tightly and she could feel him shaking. 

“Thank heavens you’re alright! I, I was-” He began, but she cut him off, she couldn’t stop herself anymore. The tears began to flow. 

“I, I didn’t think that I’d ever see you again.” She continued. “But when I heard that voice, I knew it had to be you!” The crowd around them began cheering as they began to realize that their princess had made it through the ordeal and she had saved them. 

“I think that it’s time we get you to the palace physician, and then to rest.” Kyro whispered as he began to loosen his grip on her. “As much as I love holding you, I will feel much better after you are seen by the physician.” He began to adjust his hold on her, and picked her up as he stood. “The princess consort must be seen by a physician. I am glad for all that survived, and I promise that this treason will not go unpunished! Please, take the evening to recuperate yourselves. Captain Nouren, I trust that you can aid in getting the guard organized for this evening. All dismissed!” Kyro ordered as he walked toward the palace with his bride in his arms. Finally safe. 

Clove had her head tucked against his chest, absorbing as much of his warmth as she could. Now that the adrenaline was running out, she was quickly running out of energy. 

“Sleep, dear. I will carry you all the way. You must be exhausted.” She heard Kyro whisper and within seconds, she finally gave into the need and fell asleep. Kyro was still pretty shaky, his adrenaline was working itself out of his body as well. He took these few moments while he walked to reflect and accept what had just happened. He hadn’t been aware of just how much he cared for Clove until he thought he had really lost her. He felt her shift a little in her sleep and he just pulled her closer. “You crazy, wonderful woman.” He whispered to himself. “I can’t believe I almost lost you.” He could feel the familiar wobble in his lower lip start. But he stiffened. He wouldn’t be able to break right now, not until all was calm. Clove needed medical attention, and he would not be in the mental state needed to care for her if he allowed himself to dwell on what could have been. He needed to focus on the now. Now meant that Clove was okay, she had survived, but she was injured, and she needed medical attention. 

“Your highness!” The palace physician calling his name brought him out of his thoughts. 

“Physician, the Princess Consort has been injured. She needs medical attention immediately!” Kyro Bellowed as the doctor came into view. 

“Your highness, bring her in here!” The doctor directed Kyro into his quarters and directed him on where to lay the princess. “Has she regained consciousness since the incident?” The doctor began his assessment. 

“Yes, doctor, she just recently fell asleep from exhaustion.” Kyro nervously relayed the events to the physician. The doctor continued his assessment, while Kyro watched. He was growing more and more concerned over the fact that Clove had not yet woken. And it seemed, so was the doctor. Kyro stayed pacing back and forth until finally, the physician seemed to be through with his assessment. 

“I am going to try to wake the princess, your highness. I am going to be honest with you. The fact that she gained consciousness and then lost it again, it is not a good sign, I am hoping my gut is wrong.” Kyro nodded, not wanted to think about the possibilities of what the physician just said, and not wanting to be in the way, he backed away and sat in the corner of the room allowing the doctor to work. 

The doctor tried many different ways of waking Clove but with every new attempt, Kyros anxiety grew. This woman, this wonderfully smart, kind woman, laid here nearly dead, when just half an hour ago, she was speaking and embracing him. What could have happened? That’s when it got worse than he could have imagined. 

“Your highness! Go get me help! The princess has stopped breathing! I’m initiating CPR now! Kyro fled from the room to grab as many nurses as he could. Upon his return, the charge nurse switched with the physician to continue compressions. They were giving her medications and continuing compressions. They were giving her breaths. And Kyro stood there, helpless to save her, again, for the second time that day. 

“Please Clove, please wake up.” He backed up against the wall and sunk down to a squat with his hands in his head. He could feel the wetness in his eyes, he could feel the heat rising to his face. “Please, please don’t leave.” Kyro whispered as he watched them do the CPR. “We were finally working as a team.” He pulled his hair and covered his face with his hands and tried to bite down the panic that was rising. This was exactly what happened when his mother fell ill. He had to keep a handle on himself. 

“Switch!” He heard another nurse yell, as the their team worked to repair the damage and bring Clove back to consciousness.

This continued on for one more cycle before someone finally yelled to stop. 

“She has a pulse! And look! She’s breathing!” The nurse exclaimed. Kyro stood up in one movement and was back at her side in just two steps. 

“Clove, Clove can you hear me?” Kyros voice was shakier than he had intended. 

“Your highness, sir, I think that it’s time you and I had a discussion. Thank you all, you did a wonderful job. Please allow his highness and I a moment. You all are dismissed.” The physician stated kindly. As the nurses and aids filed out of the room, the physician pulled two chairs over near where Clove lay. 

“This is not good news, is it, doctor?” Kyro sat and eyed the doctor, not letting go of Cloves hand. 

“Your highness, permission to speak frankly?” The physician looked at Kyro, he had known him since he was just a baby, he was there the day that he was born, and had watched him grow into a phenomenal leader and man. 

“Permission granted.” Kyro spoke softly as he looked ok at Clove, watching her chest rise and fall, not sure he was ready to have this conversation. His insides felt like they were twisting and turning. He felt like he could vomit, he knew what was coming, and he wasn’t ready for it.” 

“Your highness, I believe that the princess.” 

“Clove, please, she would rather you called her Clove.” Kyro interrupted. 

“Alright, Clove. I believe that Clove has suffered from a brain bleed. There is a chance that the dragons power will heal the vessel. But there is a chance that she will not wake. There is no way for me to know which it will be, or how long it may take. I think that it is time that you begin to prepare yourself for the worst. I’m sorry, your highness. Clove was, or, is a wonderful, kind woman. And I believe she would be a fine leader.” The physician placed a hand on Kyros shoulder. 

“So, so you’re saying, she, she might not make it.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. Kyro was telling himself more than he was clarifying. 

“There’s a high chance. I’m sorry your highness. I did everything that I could, but her injuries are just too serious for my abilities. I will summon some servants and we can move her to your bed chambers.” With that, the physician gave Kyros shoulder one last squeeze and stood to begin moving the princess. 

“Clove.” Kyro turned to her, still holding her hand. “You fight, because I know you’re a fighter. Our people need you, I need you. Please.” He was still fighting the tears, but he was holding himself together by a thread. 

“Your highness, we are going to move her now. Would you like to accompany us?” One of the soldiers asked. He was a tall young man, young as far as the crimson guards went, he was accompanied by one other crimson guard member, two other cerulean guard members, and two hand maids. 

“Yes, I will assist with the transfer.” He stood and held Cloves hand the whole way from the physicians quarters to his bed chambers, their bed chambers. The soldiers laid Clove on the bed and took their leave. The handmaids began to gather supplies to wash and change the princess. 

“Your highness, would you mind stepping out while we wash and change her highness?” Mai asked Kyro. 

“No. I will not leave my bride. I will avert my gaze, but I will not leave her side.” His voice was firm and no one made a move to argue. Once the maids had finished cleaning and changing Clove into clean clothes, her and Kyro were finally alone. He sat on a small chair next to her bed, he never stopped holding her hand. 

“Clove? I, I don’t know if you can hear me, but if you can, I need you to listen to me. You need to fight this. I don’t know if you have your dragon, if you’re in their realm or not, I, I really don’t know anything. But I do know that I need you. I need you to fight because I can’t do this without you. I, I, I’m in love with you Clove.” His admittance is what broke the dam for him. His cheeks flooded with tears, and his shoulders began to shake with sobs. 

“Clove, I’m in love with your smile. It’s infectious, it’s kind and it’s the only thing I want to see every morning. Your beautiful azure eyes, I know they’re a reflection of what makes us different, but I believe in many ways, that’s exactly what brought us together. I’m, I’m in love with, with” he couldn’t get the words out past his hiccups. He was breaking hard. His hands were shaking and he felt like if he stopped talking, the whole world would just shatter. 

“Clove, I love everything about you. But, most of all, I love your heart. You’re kind and you’re loyal to a fault ag times. You’re strong and your brave and you see the best in people, even me. And you have a unique perspective on everything and, and I need you Clove. I really really need you. I love you, and I can’t do this alone. I know I’ve only known you for a short time, but I don’t think I could live without you now. Please Clove. Please wake up. Come back to me.” 

Kyro kissed her hand and held onto it while he shook. He tried to focus on what meant that she was alive, the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the occasional twitch of her eyes. He needed to hold onto that. He sat there holding her hand, rocking back and forth on his chair. Every once in a while he’d kiss her hand or her forehead, or her nose. Occasionally he would let go of her hand and hold his head. He’d talk to her and rub her arms. He was comforting himself more than he was comforting her. 

“I can’t do this.” He whispered to himself. His eyes were swollen and red and still tears fell from. 

“But you can, and you must. For her sake and yours. ” He heard a familiar voice come from inside of him. 

“Red?” Kyro whispered. 

“You forget, I am part of both you, and the cerulean vessel. The vessel is weakened, but she is fighting. She has not yet parished. Red spoke calmly. 

“Yet? Red, she needs to live. She HAS to.” Kyro spoke to the empty room. 

“I cannot make guarantees. I can only tell you what I know. She is fighting. Hold on to her as she holds on to you.” And with that, Reds presence was gone again. He was alone again.

“Hold on Clove, keep, keep fighting. For both of us.” He sat there holding her hand, and wiping sweat from her brow for what felt like hours, before someone else appeared. There was a soft knock at the door. 

“Unless it is urgent, or you are a physician. Leave us. I do not want to be disturbed.” Kyro did his best to keep his voice from wavering. 

“Even a concerned sister?” Kharis walked in and quietly closed the door behind her. She had been crying. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her face still had the tear marks running down her cheeks. “How is she?” Kharis asked, though her voice broke. 

“No change. She’s still breathing and occasionally she’ll make noises and move her eyes, but, the-the-there’s not any-anything new.” Kyro tried to hold himself together, but his efforts were fruitless. 

“How are you?” Kharis whispered as she put a hand on his shoulder and crouched next to him. He turned to look at his younger sister, and the pain on his face was obvious. 

“I feel like I’m made of glass and I’ve been shattered, but not all of my pieces have fallen away yet.” He looked at her and wetness began to gather in his eyes once more. “I’m in love with her Kharis, and, and I never even told her until, until this happened.” And the dam broke again. Kharis threw her arms around her brother and they both cried over the impending death of their new best friend. 

“She’s only been here for a short time, but she’s changed so much about everything. She really is a blessing to everyone around her.” 

“I can’t do this without her Kharis” he mumbled into her shoulder. “I just can’t. Not anymore, not now that I’ve had her. I-I failed her Kharis. I promised her after the last attack that she would be safe by my side. That I would not allow anything bad to happen to her. And I failed her again. And this time, this time I think I’ve really lost her.” He finally spoke his fear out loud. After several minutes he was finally able to calm himself again. “I talked to Red.” Kyro said quietly, still not letting go of his sister, or Cloves hand. 

“Oh? What did he say?” 

“He said that she’s fighting this. She’s not dead yet and she’s trying. He told me to hold onto her as she has held onto me.” He leaned back and looked into his sisters eyes. “I will not leave until she is awake, or dead.” He spoke his resolve not as a suggestion but a statement. He would not be leaving her regardless of what officials were angered by it. 

“I understand. I will leave you to her.” Kharis got off of her brothers lap and walked around to Clove. She put her forehead on Cloves and took a deep, shaky breath. “You fight this Clove, you are not done here. You are my best friend, my, my only friend. You can’t leave us.” She cried over Cloves body. When she finally calmed herself, she lifted her head and kissed Cloves forehead before leaving. 

“You hear that, my love? I’m not the only one that needs you. Fight for us. We all need you. Every single one of us.” He got closer to her and leaned forward with his head on the bed next to hers. He laid like that for minutes before sleep took him. 

He was woken several minutes later by the sound of coughing, and Clove moving. He moved swiftly to see that Clove was slowly waking up. 

“Breathe dear, just relax and breathe. I’m right here. I’m here, love. Just breathe for me.” Kyro had tears running down his cheeks and her eyes began to flutter. “Someone get a physician!” Kyro yelled at towards the door

“Your highness what is it?” One of the guards peaked their head in to see the princess attempting to sit up. 

“Clove, Clove, my love, can you hear me?” Kyros voice was thick and rough with emotion. “Clove breathe. Just breathe, love.” Cloves eyes fluttered open as she sat up. She was taking deep breaths but she was smiling. 

“Kyro, Kyro the azure dragon, it it saved me, I died, and he, he held onto my energy and my spirit and repaired me.” Kyro held her face in his hands, his lips slightly apart, he thought he might be dreaming. 

“Are you sure, you’re positive I’m not dreaming?” His voice wavered and his whole body still shook. 

“I’m real Kyro, and I’m okay. I’m totally healed. The cerulean dragon, he did this. He healed me from the inside.” She wrapped her arms around him and he broke once more. His shoulders shook as his relief hit him like a tsunami. She could feel the wetness of his tears on her neck. 

“I-I thought I’d never see you again. Cl-Clove I thought you were dead.” He sobbed into her. 

“Oh Kyro!” She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly to her. “Kyro, Kyro, I’m alright. I promise.” She kissed his temple and pulled back away from him. 

“Princess!” The physician exclaimed as he came running into the room. “How do you feel? Are you having any pain, can you see okay?” He fired off a million questions and then continued his assessment. Kyro never left her side and held her hand the whole time. 

“Doctor?” Kyro asked as the physician stood and smiled. 

“I don’t see any deficits. It would seem that the Azure dragon has healed the vessel completely. There aren’t even any cuts or bruises from the accident. She is the picture of health.” The physician smiled. “I do believe that the two of you could both use some rest. I will take my leave for the evening, but I will be back in the morning to check everything out once again. Goodnight your highness.” He bowed and backed out of the room. 

“See? You don’t have to pretend like I’m going to break. I’m okay, I’m not fragile.” She smiled and pulled him onto the bed. “Now come and confess your undying love to me some more so I can really get to hear it this time.” She smiled at him and giggled when he blushed. 

“I-I-I. Uh, you, you heard all of that?” He blushed furiously and she just giggled some more. “You know what, princess, I’m glad you heard it, because every word of it was true. I’m in love with Clove, and losing you scared me more than anything. I’ve never been that afraid of anything in my life.” He kissed her temple. 

“I promise to try not to get assassinated again.” She tried to lighten the mood but he turned his eyes downward. “Another thing I heard was when you told Kharis that you’ve failed me. You haven’t.” She reached up and touched his face. 

“Clove, we have been married for a month, and already I’ve nearly lost you twice. I can’t protect you. I failed you.” He wouldn’t look at her. 

“Kyro, you did not fail me. The only person who failed me, were the assassins. There was nothing that you could have done in any of the situations. You didn’t fail me Kyro, you saved me. I heard you, I heard the vulnerability and the pain in your voice and I knew. I knew I had to fight for you. Because, I love you too Kyro.” She now had tears flooding her cheeks.

He wiped her tears away with his thumb, and looked her in the eyes. His deep amber eyes bore into her big azure ones, and they slowly moved closer and closed until they’re lips connected. They shared a deep, wet kiss worthy of the love that they just confessed. 

“Clove!” Kharis came flying into the door and jumped head first onto the bed. Ignoring her brother's protests. “I’m so happy you’re okay! I was so scared!” Kharis was crying as well. 

“I’m okay, Kharis. Just a little tired.” Clove smiled and hugged the girl who has quickly become her best friend. 

“I’ll leave you to it then. Goodnight.” Kharis smiled at both of them and left. 

“I think we’re finally alone.” Kyro smiled and looked at her. 

“And I can tell that you’re exhausted, maybe even more than me. We both need our rest my love.” She kissed his nose and he blushed. 

“I am exhausted. Let’s get some sleep. I love you, Clove.” 

“I love you too, Kyro.” She smiled and he leaned in and kissed her lips softly before wrapping her in his arms and falling into a peaceful dreamless sleep.


End file.
